Preparation method

Place rack in lowest position in oven. Heat oven to 230 degrees C / Gas 8.

To make topping: Mix 125g flour, 100g brown sugar, 100g caster sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; rub in butter until mixture is moist and crumbly, and clumps together easily.

To make filling: Peel, core and slice apples into approximately 3mm slices. If you cut them too thick you'll have crunchy apples. In another bowl, toss cut up apples, caster sugar, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle in flour, and stir until apples are evenly coated.

Layer apple slices in pastry case. You will have a lot of apples, but they will shrink. Layer them higher in the middle. Pour left over juice from apple mixture over apples. Pat the brown sugar topping evenly over apples to make a top crust.

Place pie on baking tray in oven to catch juice drippings. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 180 degrees C / Gas 4, and bake for 45 minutes to one hour; bake until centre of pie has no resistance. If top starts to get too dark, cover with piece of foil. Cool on wire rack before serving.

Apple pie tips

To check the doneness of the pie filling, insert a knife into the centre of the pie. If it meets with little or no resistance, the pie is done.

If the pie is not quite done but the top or edges are becoming too dark, loosely cover the top of the pie with aluminium foil to shield it from the heat.